The 16 Hour Lock-In

The 16 Hour Lock-In is a small trail race at Carolina Beach State Park, near Wilmington, North Carolina. Runners begin at 9am Saturday and have until 1am Sunday to complete as many 4.5-mile loops as desired. The format is intentionally flexible: there is no DNF, so a runner completing one loop receives a result, while someone aiming for an ultra distance can continue for the full 16 hours. The listed options include half marathon, marathon, 50K, 50 miles, 100K, and the timed race, but all participants use the same loop-based structure. The course is 95 percent unpaved trail within the state park, and the field is limited to 70 runners, making it more of a focused endurance gathering than a large city race. The name originates from the park gate, which closes at 7pm; anyone remaining inside after that is either camping or arranging a pickup outside the entrance. There is no prize money. The event records show a men's best of 72 miles and a women's best of 100K. The race, with its first edition in 2023, is still new, but the lock-in rule already defines its character.